Plead read on as we get to the root of the question- is this smoker worth your money?

General Overview

The Char-Broil has good basic features, including a generous capacity (504 square inches of cooking area), a simple rheostat controller, heavy duty cast iron cooking grates (3 in total), a very powerful 1,500 watt heating element, an insulated design, a passable temperature gauge, and the standard wood/water pans. There’s nothing else you can really ask for in this price range, seriously.

However, while everything looks good on paper, what about its actual performance? Let’s get right to that.

Consensus of Users

Users applaud the value of the Char-Broil, and many of the earlier user reports are very favorable.

However, there has been a string of comments about quality issues; the biggest complaint among them is the failure of the door to either shut correctly or retain smoke. Indeed, some users admitted to having to Jerry-rig latches and use other tweaks to keep the door closed.Other, lesser gripes, such as the inaccuracy of the temperature, are fairly typical to even very high-priced smokers in my experience.

The more significant quality control problems are what largely bring the Char-Broil’s average satisfaction rating down to a 3.5 out of 5.0 to date on amazon.com. It’s a shame, since beyond the door problem, the ratings are good, and users give this smoker high marks. Anyone considering this smoker should read these reviews carefully.

Price & Value

Value is what drives most people to the Char-Broil Electric Smoker. Currently selling for about $130, there’s no question that it is one of the most aggressively-priced cabinet-type smokers you can buy. And, if it weren’t for some troublesome issues with the door closure, we’d be very excited about this model, perhaps including in our best electric smoker top picks.

Concluding Thoughts

We really like the Char-broil 30″ Vertical Electric Smoker for very nearly delivering amazing value at an unbelievable price for a cabinet smoker. This unit has a powerful heating element, good capacity, a well-insulated construction, and otherwise possesses all of the basic features of a smoker that can produce top-notch results.

That’s why it really pains us to see something like a poorly planned/executed door closure mechanism drag this model down. Some users may be able to finagle things if any door leakage or other issues arise (one user installed window locks on the door), but for most consumers who are not expecting to have to modify or fix a brand new smoker, we’d suggest looking elsewhere for a good smoker under $200.